VERILY, VERILY - See the notes at John 3:3. I SAY UNTO YOU - Some have supposed that what follows here was delivered on some other occasion than the one mentioned in the last chapter; but the expression verily, verily, is one which is not used at the commencement of a discourse, and the discourse it... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT ENTERETH BY THE DOOR - This was the way in which a shepherd had access to his flock. In John 10:7 Jesus says he is the door. In this place he refers to those who by him - that is, in accordance with his spirit and law become ministers of religion. IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP - Christ does... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HIM THE PORTER OPENETH - The porter is the doorkeeper. It seems that the more wealthy Jews who owned flocks employed some person to take charge of the flock. At first all shepherds attended their flocks personally by day and by night, and this continued to be commonly the practice, but not always... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PUTTETH FORTH - Or leads them out of the fold. HE GOETH BEFORE THEM - He leads them, and guides them, and does not leave them. A shepherd spent his time with his flocks. He went before them to seek the best pastures and watering-places, and to defend them from danger. In this is beautifully repr... [ Continue Reading ]
A STRANGER ... - This was literally true of a flock. Accustomed to the voice and presence of a kind shepherd, they would not regard the command of a stranger. It is also true spiritually. Jesus by this indicates that the true people of God will not follow false teachers - those who are proud, haught... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS PARABLE - See the notes at Matthew 13:3. THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT ... - They did not understand the meaning or design of the illustration.... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE DOOR - I am the way by which ministers and people enter the true church. It is by his merits, his intercession, his aid, and his appointment that they enter. OF THE SHEEP - Of the church.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT EVER CAME BEFORE ME - This does not refer to the prophets, but to those who came pretending to be the pastors or guides of the people. Some have supposed that he referred to those who pretended to be the Messiah before him; but there is not evidence that any such person appeared before the... [ Continue Reading ]
BY ME - By my instruction and merits. SHALL BE SAVED - See John 5:24. SHALL GO IN AND OUT ... - This is language applied, commonly to flocks. It meant that he shall be well supplied, and defended, and led “beside the still waters of salvation.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THIEF COMETH NOT ... - The thief has no other design in coming but to plunder. So false teachers have no other end in view but to enrich or aggrandize themselves. I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE - See the notes at John 5:24. MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY - Literally, that they may have abun... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOOD SHEPHERD - The faithful and true shepherd, willing to do all that is necessary to defend and save the flock. GIVETH HIS LIFE - A shepherd that regarded his flock would hazard his own life to defend them. When the wolf comes, he would still remain to protect them. To give his life, here, mea... [ Continue Reading ]
A HIRELING - A man employed to take care of the sheep, to whom wages is paid. As he does not own the sheep, and guards them merely for pay, rather than risk his life he would leave the flock to the ravages of wild beasts. The word translated “hireling” is often employed in a good sense; but here it... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE HE IS A HIRELING - Because he regards only his wages. He feels no special interest in the flock.... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOW MY SHEEP - Know my people, or my church. The word “know” here is used in the sense of affectionate regard or love. It implies such a knowledge of their wants, their dangers, and their characters, as to result in a deep interest in their welfare. Thus the word “knoweth,” in John 10:15, is in Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE FATHER KNOWETH ME ... - See the Matthew 11:27 note; also Luke 10:22 note. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP - That is, I give my life as an atoning sacrifice for their sins. I die in their place, to redeem them from sin, and danger, and death. See John 10:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
OTHER SHEEP - There are others who shall be members of my redeemed church. I HAVE - This does not imply that they were then his friends, but that they would be. There were others whom it was his purpose and intention to call to the blessings of the gospel and salvation. The purpose was so sure, and... [ Continue Reading ]
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE - I give myself to die for my people, in Jewish and pagan lands. I offer myself a sacrifice to show the willingness of my Father to save them; to provide an atonement, and thus to open the way for their salvation. This proves that the salvation of man was an object dear to God, an... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME - That is, no one could take it by force, or unless I was willing to yield myself into his hands. He had power to preserve his life, as he showed by so often escaping from the Pharisees; he voluntarily went up to Jerusalem, knowing that he would die; he knew the approach of... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH A DEVIL - John 7:20. IS MAD - Is deranged, or a maniac. His words are incoherent and unintelligible.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT THE WORDS ... - His words are sober, grave, pious, full of wisdom. The preaching of Jesus always produced effect. It made bitter enemies or decided friends. So will all faithful preaching. It is not the fault of the gospel that there are divisions, but of the unbelief and mad passions of men.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION - Literally, the feast of the renewing, or of the renovation. This feast was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus, in the year 164 b.c. The temple and city were taken by Antiochus Epiphanes in the year 167 b.c. He killed 40,000 inhabitants, and sold 40,000 more as slaves. In ad... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON’S PORCH - The porch or covered way on the east of the temple. See the notes at Matthew 21:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
TELL US PLAINLY - The Messiah was predicted as a shepherd. Jesus had applied that prediction to himself. They supposed that that was an evidence that he claimed to be the Messiah. He also performed miracles, which they considered as evidence that he was the Christ, John 7:31. Yet the rulers made a d... [ Continue Reading ]
I TOLD YOU - It is not recorded that Jesus had told them in so many words that he was the Christ, but he had used expressions designed to convey the same truth, and which many of them understood as claiming to be the Messiah. See John 5:19; John 8:36, John 8:56; John 10:1. The expression “the Son of... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE NOT OF MY SHEEP - Are not my people, my followers. You do not possess the spirit of meek and humble disciples. Were it not for pride, and prejudice, and vainglory for your false notions of the Messiah, and from a determination not to believe, you would have learned from my declarations and works... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SHEEP - My church, my people, those who have the true spirit of my followers. The name is given to his people because it was an illustration which would be well understood in a country abounding in flocks. There is also a striking resemblance, which he proceeds to state, between them. HEAR MY VO... [ Continue Reading ]
I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE - See John 5:24. SHALL NEVER PERISH - To perish here means to be destroyed, or to be punished in hell. Matthew 10:28; “which is able to destroy (the same word) both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 18:14; “it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH GAVE THEM ME - See John 6:37. IS GREATER - Is more powerful. THAN ALL - Than all others - men, angels, devils. The word includes everything - everything that could attempt to pluck them away from God; in other words, it means that God is supreme. It implies, further, that God will keep them,... [ Continue Reading ]
I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE - The word translated “one” is not in the masculine, but in the neuter gender. It expresses union, but not the precise nature of the union. It may express any union, and the particular kind intended is to be inferred from the connection. In the previous verse he had said that... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS TOOK UP STONES - Stoning was the punishment of a blasphemer, Leviticus 24:14. They considered him guilty of blasphemy because he made himself equal with God, John 10:33. AGAIN - They had before plotted against his life John 5:16, John 5:18, and once at least they had taken up stones to des... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY GOOD WORKS - Many miracles of benevolence healing the sick, etc. His miracles were good works, as they tended to promote the happiness of men, and were proofs of his benevolence. He had performed no other works than those of benevolence; he knew that they could charge him with no other, and he... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BLASPHEMY - See the notes at Matthew 9:3. MAKEST THYSELF GOD - See the notes at John 5:18. This shows how they understood what he had said. MAKEST THYSELF - Dost claim to be God, or thy language implies this.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED THEM - The answer of Jesus consists of two parts. The first John 10:34 shows that they ought not to object to his use of the word God, even if he were no more than a man. The second John 10:37 repeats substantially what he had before said, left the same impression, and in proof of it... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUGHT AGAIN TO TAKE HIM - They evidently understood him as still claiming equality with God, and under this impression Jesus left them. Nor can it be doubted that he intended to leave them with this impression; and if so, then he is divine. HE ESCAPED - See John 8:59.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE JOHN AT FIRST BAPTIZED - At Bethabara, or Bethany, John 1:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MIRACLE - He did not confirm his mission by working miracles, but he showed that he was a prophet by foretelling the character and success of Jesus. Either miracle or prophecy is conclusive proof of a divine mission, for no man can foretell a future event, or work a miracle, except by the special... [ Continue Reading ]